The Winston County Board of Supervisors set the public hearing on the 2024 budget for September 11, 2023. Preliminary drafts of the new budget appear to have revenue increases, but that doesn’t mean that our taxes are increasing. Instead, the increased revenue is due to growth in the county, and this growth benefits the county in many ways.
While the millage rate has not been officially set for the upcoming year, it’s unlikely that the rate will change. This is something that the Board of Supervisors has consistently strived to do for the citizens of Winston County, noted Darlene Bane, current Tax Assessor.
She explained that there is much work that goes into drafting a budget each year. In order to determine the millage rate – and decide if there should be an increase or decrease – county officials must look at both what is needed to run the county and dividing that by the assessed value of property in the county. While the average person may initially think roads and bridges, county money is utilized for so much more. Everything from health and sanitation, law enforcement, the local library, and civil defense funding is provided for in the county budget.
Bane stated that there is an increase in the county total assessed value, but this isn’t from raising taxes. The 2022 total assessed value was $147,991,479. In 2023, this increased to $150,913,014. That’s a difference of $2,921,535.00. The total assessed value is multiplied by the set millage rate to determine the amount of revenue for the county.
She would further explain how this took place and how this is beneficial for Winston Countians.
Bane noted that the tax assessor’s office conducts an appraisal of properties, both residential and commercial, every four years. To do this, each year, 25 percent of the county is reappraised. This includes not only the construction of new buildings, but even the inventory of local businesses.
We’ve all heard the catchphrase “buy local,” and there’s a reason for that. When businesses – from a local beauty salon to Taylor Group – see growth, this actually eases the tax burden on local citizens. Bane noted that towns with no industry and a downtown area that isn’t thriving must get the monies for operating costs somewhere; this typically means raising taxes on locals. “Industry growth helps everyone’s pocketbook,” she stated. Multiple businesses in Winston County have seen growth, including The Taylor Group, Winston Plywood and Kloeckner.
So, what caused the increase in revenue this year if taxes didn’t go up? Bane revealed that every new home built, every bit of new industry (whether it be growth of an established company or the addition of a new small business), and the latest 25 percent appraisal aided in this revenue increase. However, there’s one surprising factor that added to the coffers of the county – the increase of available new vehicles for purchase.
Readers might remember that in 2020 and 2021, finding a brand new vehicle might be like finding a needle in a proverbial haystack. Auto News states that in 2021, more than 10.5 million vehicles were cut from production due to a lack of the chips (chips, or microchips, “contain billions of transistors” and “form the basis of the circuitry that allows machines to do their jobs.” -Bloomberg) Chips in cars are often found in the touchscreens present that may operate everything from the audio system to hands-free phone calls to the backup camera. Those are not the only jobs chips perform in cars, but when the shortage of 2020 and 2021 occurred, many auto manufacturers simply cut production. Ford was affected chiefly in North America, while some foreign makes – BMW and Mercedes – “reported no significant chip supply issues.” (Automoblog).
Now that this shortage is improving and more new vehicles are on the road in Winston County, the tax assessor’s office is able to collect greater tag revenue. Bane noted that the amount of money residents would pay for a tag hasn’t been changed; the value of the vehicle is increased, which always yields a higher price for one’s tag.
So, when the budget meeting takes place in September, citizens may notice an increase in revenue for the county. The progress in Winston County is helping to keep the millage rate steady while allowing the county to provide the services we’ve become accustomed to without seeing a rate hike.
